Why does Panda3D on OS X install to the Applications folder?

Installation
1

Hi everybody, I’m new! :slight_smile:

I’ve taken an interest in Panda3D for years and I’ve recommended it to people looking into a 3D engine for Python since about '05. I’d previously installed and played with it on Windows, but I migrated to OS X about a year ago and had held off because the installation procedure was not complete. Some of you may recognize my name from the GameDev.Net forums.

Anyway, I installed Panda3D last night but before I did I spent some time Googling to try to discover why the DMG suggested I install to my Applications folder, and included a link to do so. I opened up the panda3dpaths.command file in TextEdit and noticed that it prepended a dynamic link library path within Applications - /Applications/Panda3D/1.6.2/lib. That seems a little inelegant to me.

Panda3D is not really an application. It’s a library, it’s infrastructure. I think it should have been installed in /Library or $HOME/Library instead. /Library/Panda3D/$VERSION seems perfect to me.

Please note that the installation itself went smoothly, and I could run all the samples. I’m just curious about what I think is an oversight. Thanks!

2

Welcome to the Panda3D forums :slight_smile:

Majority of the panda+mac users voted for the /Applications/Panda3D location, as they found the Panda3D stuff should be portable and movable to any desired directory (which should be possible right now).

I do agree that /Library would be a better place though. On the other hand, Panda does ship with a lot of utility programs - where would we put those, then?